Responsible consumption survey 2023

Respondents’ perceptions of society:

• Compared to 2022 and 2020, all the issues assessed seem to be of slightly less concern, with rising energy and raw material prices clearly taking precedence over other issues such as pollution, health and personal well-being.
  
  
• Rising energy and raw material prices, purchasing power and health are the top three concerns of Belgians:
  • Rising prices and cost of living are of particular concern to Walloon women over 35.
  • The health crisis no longer worries Belgians to the same extent, with 52% saying they are rather or very concerned, compared with 82% in 2020 and 62% in 2022, and mainly the over-55s concerned.
  • The war in Ukraine is of slightly less concern than in 2022 (67% vs. 77% in 2022), with older Dutch speakers still more concerned.
• Generally speaking, the over-35s, women, Walloons and respondents with medium and high levels of education are concerned about more issues.
  
  
• According to Belgians, responsible consumption means recycling more, reusing and repairing (27%), buying seasonal products (25%), buying local and short-circuit products (21%), using less packaging and producing less waste (20%), reducing (energy) consumption (20%) and buying sustainable products (19%).
  • Buying fair trade products is in the Top 10, ahead of limiting the purchase of new products and choosing renewable energy sources. More Dutch speakers define responsible consumption as the purchase of fair trade products.
    
    
• Belgians’ awareness of societal issues has decreased since 2020, with 59% agreeing that we will have to live and consume differently in the interests of future generations.
  • Older, better educated French-speaking women are more aware of the conditions under which certain products are manufactured and are also convinced that their purchases have an impact, whether positive or negative, on the environment and producers’ living conditions. They have also chosen to reduce their meat consumption, especially women in Brussels.
  • Younger respondents find it easier to talk to their friends and family about consumer issues, and 42% talk to those close to them to see what they themselves can do to make the world a better place. They are also more reluctant to change their consumption habits for fear of being excluded from a group.
  • Men tend to be less involved in issues, with 34% believing that their behaviour has no impact on the way society works (compared to 25% of women). They no longer pay attention to the excessive number of labels and remain loyal to the brands they usually buy.
    
    
• Regardless of the type of product purchased, the main criterion, far ahead of all others, remains price. In 2022, price was also the most important criterion, but to a lesser extent (for food products, it currently stands at 60%, compared with 37% in 2022).
  • For food products, the next criteria are directly linked to the product;
    • qualitative aspects: especially for Dutch speakers from semi-urban backgrounds and with a high level of education,
    • lifespan (expiration date): an important criterion for men,
    • seasonality: especially for older French-speaking women,
    • and being healthy and safe: for older people with a higher level of education.

• For cosmetics, beauty and skincare products, the two criteria that follow price are the healthy and safe nature of the products and respect for animal welfare during production, which appeal slightly more to women.
• For clothing and textiles, the second criterion is the product’s lifespan.

Effects of crises on consumption:

Effects of crises on consumption:

• The crises we are currently experiencing (rising energy costs and prices, climate change and Covid-19) are having a real impact on the consumption habits of Belgians.
  • In 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Covid-19 crisis changed the importance of purchasing criteria for around 50% of Belgians. Now that we are talking about different crises, including rising prices, 80% of Belgians claim to have changed their purchasing criteria.
  • Younger French-speaking women with lower levels of education are the target group most affected by the different crises.
    
    
• These changes in habits, which are linked to the different crises, are mostly made for economic reasons.
  • Young French speakers with a high level of education are more likely to state that they are changing their habits for ecological reasons.
  • Men say they are less affected, if at all, by the various crises.
    
    
• Once again, the most important change in consumption habits for all profile types is attention to the price of what they buy, to the detriment of societal issues, which cause far fewer changes in habits on the part of Belgians.
  • French speakers are more attentive to limiting the quantity of their waste and reducing their consumption. Older people limit their waste and prefer local, seasonal produce.
  • Brussels residents pay more attention to the provenance of products, the working conditions of the producers and companies’ commitment to the planet and/or society.
    
    
• According to Belgians, particularly older ones, consumers themselves and the State or other public authorities are the most important players in promoting the development of responsible consumption behaviour.
  • Younger people, on the other hand, expect to be guided a little more, believing that this should be done at school or through the media and social networks. With regard to the obstacles to more responsible consumption, more of them do not know how to go about it and are waiting for more requirements for more responsible consumption.
    
    
• For all Belgians, the main obstacle to more responsible consumption is cost (61%).
  • The cost obstacle is more prevalent among Dutch-speaking women over 35
  • French speakers find it harder to give up their pleasures.

Corporate commitment:

• It is difficult for Belgians to position themselves in relation to companies’ commitment to the planet and/or society:
  • Half of Belgians feel that companies are not sufficiently engaged
  • But Belgians do not have particularly strong opinions on the subject (answers are limited to “rather yes” or “rather no”).
    
    
• When a company communicates its commitment to the planet and/or society, 11% of Belgians consider this a good thing, 51% tend to think of it as a first step, but do not have total confidence, and 22% do not believe it, mainly older French speakers.
• Belgians clearly expect legislation to prevent human rights violations and environmental damage along the supply chains (89%).
  • Older French speakers believe that the law should apply to the company and all its suppliers.
  • Younger Dutch speakers think it should not go as far back as their suppliers

Product type comparison:

Recommendations

After analysing these results, we can make a number of recommendations:

We need to get away from the assumption that “fair trade products = more expensive products”.

• We can see that the rising cost of living is completely taking over from other current issues:
  • In terms of concerns, rising energy prices, purchasing power and the cost of living come top of the list, pushing other concerns down in comparison with 2020 and 2022.
  • This drop in concern is also reflected in consumer sensitivity to more responsible consumption, which is also lower than in 2020 and 2022.
  • Furthermore, when it comes to purchasing criteria, price comes out on top, far ahead of other responsible consumption criteria. In May 2022, Apaq-W carried out a survey of 1,000 French-speaking Belgians, which showed that the main criterion for buying fruit and vegetables was price, to the detriment of organic produce and other short circuits*. Next, when we talk about the different current crises (Covid-19, rising energy costs and prices, climate change), 80% of respondents say they have an impact on their choice criteria (compared with 52% in 2020 when we only mentioned the Covid-19 crisis). And once again, the main impact is that Belgians are paying more attention to the price of what they buy.
  • Lastly, cost is the main obstacle to responsible consumption for Belgians.

*https://www.lalibre.be/economie/conjoncture/2022/09/16/avec-linflation-galopante-les-belges-delaissent-le-circuit-court-et-privilegient-les-supermarches-52QDW7UI3NGPVFBJV7D5H42KJA/

• 1 in 5 Belgians rate fair trade products as “expensive”.

►When Belgians are impacted by rising prices, they choose their products primarily based on price.

►They have a vision of fair trade products as expensive,

►We need to move away from this assumption, for example by communicating about the fair trade products available at attractive prices in supermarkets.

►We recommend focusing communication regarding these products on the prices of fair trade products and not directly on the fact that the product is fair trade.

►The fact that the product is fair trade is a “bonus” but will not directly influence or convince the consumer in their choice.

►This observation is strongly linked to the crises we are currently experiencing. Outside the context of these crises, it is always important to educate consumers about what lies behind the price of a fair trade product, i.e. explain that the “normal” price that includes the costs of respecting decent work and the environment = the fair trade price.

Group communication about local and seasonal products with fair trade products.

• According to Belgians, responsible consumption mainly means buying seasonal and local products from short distribution channels.
• Belgians are more familiar with the definition of local products than with the definition of fair trade products.
• The notion of buying fair trade products to consume responsibly is in the Top 10 actions in the minds of respondents but is not as obvious as seasonal or local products.

► We recommend focusing communication on local and fair trade products, showing the complementary nature of product ranges.

Young people need to be better informed and guided.

• According to young people, the development of responsible consumer behaviour should be promoted at school or through traditional and social media.
• Young people are also more likely to feel that more responsible consumption would be possible if there were more obligations and it was not left to individual choice.
• And young people do not really know how to consume more responsibly.
• Social desirability is more important for young people, as they are more sensitive to their group’s perception of them.

►We recommend explaining best practices for responsible consumption to young people in concrete terms via:

• modules on responsible consumption and societal issues added to the school curriculum,
• simple, attractive and accessible explanatory video clips, broadcast on social networks (TikTok, Instagram, etc.) and on television or other traditional media.
• Communication must be group-oriented, and why not try to “create a buzz” on the networks so that the behaviours are applied by as many people as possible? A successful example of this is the Veja trainer brand*.

►We also recommend moving towards the gradual implementation of legal obligations for more responsible behaviour.

*https://www.capital.fr/entreprises-marches/veja-la-pepite-francaise-de-la-basket-eco-responsable-1346450

Encourage older people to become ambassadors for responsible consumption.

• The over-55s believe that it is consumers themselves who must promote the development of responsible consumption behaviours.
• They also feel that advertising encourages (irresponsible) consumption.
• They are already more convinced and adopt more responsible consumption behaviours (mainly women).

►These people should be encouraged to become role models within their families and set an example, demonstrating best practices concerning responsible consumption to other generations.

Encourage the promotion of the circular economy as a selling point for companies.

• For around one in three consumers, responsible consumption means recycling more, reusing or repairing.
• Belgians are among the top performers in terms of recycling and the consumption of second-hand products (https://sosoir.lesoir.be/la-belgique-dans-le-top-10-des-pays-qui-consomment-le-plus-responsable)

►Belgians are prepared to consume responsibly by practising the circular economy.

►We recommend encouraging distributors and companies to recycle or repair the products they offer these consumers and to communicate this strategy.